Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Seventh Heaven ❯ Boycotting the Library ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Boycotting the Library
Series: Seventh Heaven
Author: Sorceress Fantasia
Pairings: 1+2, implied 13+11
Warnings: Heero POV, AU (our time)
Archive: Lev's Lair
Fanfiction.net
MediaMiner
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story. GW and all the brands mentioned here belong to whomever they belong to. Thank you for paying attention. ^o^
Note: I'm not trying to stereotype librarians or anything. In fact, I was a librarian once, in and outside school. And one of my favourite things to do was to ask the kids to shut up. ^^ So…
Thanks to Dark Tenchi for beta-ing!


Books.

I guess it was only a matter of time that I had to consult books in order to learn more about photography. So here I am, in a public library, flipping through thick, wordy text. Sometimes I think things like this dampen the leisure gained from photography. It's irritating, but books are the only things I can turn to now, considering that Treize is not in the country.

Last I heard, he's in Japan worshipping his camera. At least his last postcard gave me that impression. And I can just imagine Une, his girlfriend, lugging their luggage behind him while he frolics around snapping pictures. Treize's like that. He'll forget just about nearly anything when he has got a cam in his hands. Even booking a hotel room. Which I think, accounted for his complaints about his blackened right eye in that postcard.

Une should have known better.

Sighing, I turn my attention back to the book in my hand. I am almost overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information written. Composition? Light? Focusing? Exposure? Well, I think 'light' should be the easiest to understand, and I flip to that section. Okay… I understand intensity… I understand colour… I think I understand focusing… Yeah sure, I understand all these. But I'm not too sure if I can actually apply it when I'm holding the camera in my hands. I'm strange like that. Understanding? Fine. But application? What the-?

I knew there was more to snapping photos than just clicking the button, but all these techniques and things to look out for when taking a picture are killing my brain cells. Maybe I should just stick to the kiddy sections. Or try contacting Treize and ask him for help. Or perhaps I should just see if Une has murdered him yet.

I put the book back onto the shelf. I *think* I put it on the wrong one, because this guy with a black nametag on his vest glares at me, marches over to grab the book and put it on the next shelf. As he continues with the shelving, I'm almost tempted to grab a few more books and stuff them into the shelf behind. Or maybe just throw them all into the book drop. He can glare all he wants, but he can do nothing to me. Ha! Beat that, mister!

I suppress that childish thought and leave the section, escaping that librarian's glare of doom. What's wrong with his eyes anyway?

As I'm contemplating about returning to the literature section, which is the primary reason for me coming to the library actually, I spot him. That guy I've been after since that day on the streets. That guy with the chestnut braid. Mars. It may sound weird, but I have taken to calling him that, after that Mars bar guy I saw yesterday. Maybe it isn't such a good idea, because now I'm starting to think of his braid as melting chocolate that is dripping down the chocolate wrapper. Then again, chocolate bars don't melt to that extent. Maybe he's a chocolate sundae then.

Anyway, Mars is walking down the flight of stairs to the first floor, holding a few books in his hands. From the way he moves, you'd think he's floating. But the sound of his boots disputes that thought almost right away. His black jeans are a loose fit, but strangely, I seem to be able to see a little curve around the hips. It must be my imagination, because I sure as hell don't have x-ray eyes. Nice shirt too… And his hair… it's still woven into a braid, and the braid is pointing downwards, like it's saying 'I'm here!'

Yeah, he's there, and I'm on the second floor, a little far away from the stairs.

Quickly, I run towards the stairs. But a hand on my shoulder stops me and I turn to see who the heck is it. I should have just shrugged the hand off, because it's the grumpy librarian again. It seems to be a cosmic rule that librarians will not stop the wailing children running about or the guy talking into his cell phone. They will only tick off the person who has something important at hand. Namely, me. Damn.

"Hey! No running in the library!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know, I know." I reply offhandedly, and try to leave again.

But he gives me this frown like I owe him a millions dollars, and he continues to tick me off. I think he just likes it. Sadistic jerk.

"Do you know what running in the library means? You are disturbing the other patrons in the library who are trying to read! Or did you not see that big sign over there?" He points to the white signboard on the wall.

I roll my eyes. Newcomer. "In case you can't read English, it says 'No talking in the library'. I wasn't talking."

At least he has the decency to blush and look contrite. "No! It means that you're not supposed to make any noise in the library! When you run, you're producing some noise too!"

"Well, you're making a lot of noise yourself!" I hiss, and run off. One thing, I want to piss him off even more. Another, Mars is downstairs or perhaps he has already left. The second thought irks me, and I run faster.

Once I'm on the first floor, I quickly glance around. No, Mars is not around. I start to search around in the various sections. I skip the kid's section though. Unless he has been genetically modified or genetically engineered like that Dolly sheep, Mars looks like he's around my age. So I start with the teenage fiction section. Again, I skip the girl's section and go straight to the guy's. I don't think it's possible for a guy his age to be reading Sweet Valley or the Babysitters' Club. But no, he's not around. Neither is he in the non-fiction section. Ten minutes later, when I find myself back at the bottom of the stairs, I finally conclude that he's gone. Again. Is it just me, or is there a pattern here? I'm almost tempted to go try my luck at the kid's section, but I knock that idea off.

As I'm standing there, still looking around and hoping to see him somewhere, my mind runs off again. Honestly, I have no idea why I'm doing this. I mean, yeah, Mars is good looking… actually, I'm not even sure about that. Since I've first seen him, he has been eluding me and I've never really gotten a good look at his face. Even the photo I have of him is so unhelpful in this aspect, because he was pretty far away from me that day. So far, the only thing I know about him is that his chin is a little sharp, his hair is beautiful and he has a good fashion taste. All I've been really 'seeing' comes mostly from my imagination.

I don't understand. Why is it that one look on the streets made me… hooked onto him? If Hirde were here, she would be doing that silly action like she's shooting an arrow. It's stupid. How can a little boy fly on a pair of wings that are too small for his size? Hirde's just being childish. There's no such thing as cupid. So the idea of me being shot by his arrows is ridiculous.

I am not in love. I am just looking for someone beautiful. Yeah, I'm looking for someone beautiful.

But I've not actually met him yet.

What is wrong with me?

As I step out of the library, I nearly tumble down the stairs because I'm thinking too much. The wind is cooling, and the sun's just great. I think I'll just walk home. And maybe I'll see Mars on the streets again.

Stupid librarian. I'm boycotting this library.

-owari-

Sorceress Fantasia @ 3rd March 2003
Last beta-ed 5th March 2003